STARKVILLE — Mississippi State released its depth chart Monday afternoon. Some positions have clear starters who will take the bulk of reps. Other positions still have ongoing battles to see who will do so.

And the Bulldogs are deep enough to allow for backups to make meaningful contributions at positions where starters are locked in.

Here are three non-starters from both the offense and the defense who Mississippi State fans shouldn’t be surprised to see on the field making important plays this season.

Jamal Couch, wide receiver

For all of junior college transfer Stephen Guidry’s hype and athleticism, he’s still an unproven commodity at the Division I level. Head coach Joe Moorhead did say Guidry has the most innate talent of all the wideouts, which is why his name sits atop the depth chart. But Jamal Couch’s is right below it.

Couch stands an inch taller than Guidry at 6-foot-4 and has about 30 more pounds of body weight. Offensive coordinator Luke Getsy clearly values size in his receivers with all the listed starters being 6-foot-3 or taller. Couch provides the height and length Getsy craves.

In two seasons at MSU, Couch only has 18 catches for 304 yards. His yards per catch statistic stands out though: 16.9. Couch is a guy who can stretch the field vertically and beat opposing defenders over the top, which is exactly what Moorhead likes to do.

Tyre Phillips, left tackle

Sophomore Greg Eiland appears to have won the highly-contested battle with junior Tyre Phillips for the starting job at left tackle. Offensive line coach Marcus Johnson said during training camp that he would feel comfortable with either guy taking the field as the starter.

Injuries aren’t uncommon for offensive linemen, and both Eiland and Phillips sat out a few days during camp. Eiland wore a boot on his right ankle and had to wear a brace and tons of tape when he got back on the field. If he’s hampered during the season, Phillips should be ready to relieve him.

The tandem of senior Aeris Williams and sophomore Kylin Hill became more intriguing when Hill’s name appeared above Williams’ on the depth chart. Williams felt like the clear choice as an incumbent with 236 rushes in 2017, but apparently the battle for carries between the two was closer than some thought.

Being a senior, it wouldn’t shock anyone to see Williams take the first handoff of the season Saturday. But with the revelation of the depth chart, it shouldn’t surprise anyone to see Hill get just as many carries as Williams against Stephen F. Austin and beyond.

Chauncey Rivers, defensive end

At last, junior college transfer Chauncey Rivers is set to make his Mississippi State debut. Right around this same time last year, news hit that the dominating defensive lineman from Georgia and East Mississippi Community College was academically ineligible to play in 2017.

Rivers is physically fresh and mentally rejuvenated after sitting out the season. He’s listed behind senior Montez Sweat on the depth chart, but even Sweat will need a breather here and there. Rivers has the potential to provide a spark in the all-conference starter’s wake.

Willie Gay Jr., linebacker

There’s simply no keeping the Starkville High School product off the field in his sophomore season. As a true freshman, Willie Gay Jr. showed flashes of what’s to come in his career — with 23 tackles, a sack and two tackles for loss in limited reps. Junior Leo Lewis will get the start, but like Rivers behind Sweat, Gay Jr. is a more than capable backup.

Chris Rayford, strong safety

How can you keep a fifth-year senior who’s played in 39 career games with nine starts on the sideline? With the emergence of sophomore Cameron Dantzler at corner, Chris Rayford made the move to safety to provide depth at the position. Senior Johnathan Abram will start, but Rayford — who has seen action in every game in each of the last three seasons — should provide quality relief off the bench.